Across the African continent in 2025, a quiet revolution is roaring to life, and it hums with the sounds of servo motors, sensor data, and student laughter. The World Robot Olympiad (WRO) competition has taken root in schools from Zimbabwe to Nigeria, South Africa to Uganda, building a movement that’s not just reshaping how kids learn, but redefining why they learn.

And it is gaining more traction. Ministries of Education, embassies, universities, and global partners like Google, the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) and the Endeavour Foundation are investing in this grassroots momentum, recognizing that the future education – and innovation – might just look like a table full of buzzing wires and bright ideas.

More than a Tech Competition
Each year, WRO invites students from around the world to imagine, build, and compete, all through the power of robotics. It starts in classrooms: robotics workshops and bootcamps unfold across schools, where students form teams and begin designing robots that respond to the year’s theme – this time, “The Future of Robots.” In some countries, regional events pave the way to national finals. Then, the top teams earn the chance to represent their country on the global stage in Singapore in November, alongside young peers from over 90 nations.

In Nigeria, South Africa, Uganda, Tanzania and Zimbabwe, WRO Bootcamps have reached schools across the country, introducing coding, AI, and engineering principles through play and challenge-based learning to hundreds of students – including those from underserved and special needs communities.

“Every robotics bootcamp is a window into what’s possible when learning becomes active, inclusive, and tech-driven,” says Valentine Masicha, WRO Country Coordinator for Uganda with Mindset Coders. “In these sessions, students aren’t just tinkering with robots; they’re building confidence, learning to collaborate, and solving real-world problems with code and creativity.” For many, it’s their first time seeing how STEM can be relevant to their lives and community.

Mentorship in Motion
In each participating country, the excitement is just as palpable among the coaches who are at the heart of the WRO experience.

“Gone are the days when teachers simply delivered content”, says Victoria Nxumalo, WRO Country Coordinator for Zimbabwe and founder of Girls in STEM Trust. “WRO is revealing what relevant, future-facing education looks like in real-time: a shift from instructors to co-creators — mentors guiding discovery with courage.”

Google mentor, software engineer, and WRO lead mentor Andrew Muriithi couldn’t agree more. His thing? Train WRO coaches to accompany students from their first brainstorming session all the way to proudly representing their country at the WRO International Final. “Mentorship isn’t about having all the answers. It is about walking the journey with someone. You grow just as much as the mentee does,” says Andrew.

He continues: “Start messy, learn fast. A mentee once asked me, ‘When do I know I’m ready to build real projects?’ My answer: You don’t. You just start. And remember that every expert you admire started with broken apps and endless errors.”

This evolution mirrors global shifts in education. The World Economic Forum’s 2023 “Education 4.0” agenda singles out mentorship, creativity, and adaptable problem-solving as foundational skills in an AI-first world. Meanwhile, UNESCO’s 2024 AI Competency Framework outlines 12 essential AI competencies for students – ranging from ethical reasoning to system design – with the goal of preparing learners to become responsible, human-centered co-creators of AI.

By introducing robotics, coding, and AI as tools for collaboration and creativity, WRO is creating safe spaces for experimentation and failure – and that’s where real learning happens.

“WRO is the perfect launchpad for hands-on, trial-and-error learning,” Andrew explains. “In a world shaped by AI, it’s not just about getting it right. It’s about learning how to rethink, rebuild, and keep going. The problem-solving mindset these young people develop is exactly what the future needs.”

Meet the Makers: A Winning Team Up Close
In Manicaland Province, Zimbabwe, one WRO team captured the attention of judges, diplomats, and tech leaders alike.

Team FutureSight, winners of Zimbabwe’s National Championship in the Senior category, developed an AI-powered voice assistant for the blind. This smart, voice-controlled tool helps visually impaired users with daily tasks like reading, object recognition, and navigation. But what makes it truly special is its localisation: the team is adapting it to support local languages, ensuring accessibility for users who are often left behind in global tech developments.

“We wanted to build something that mattered,” said one team member. “Something that could make life better for people around us, not just win a trophy.”

This truth echoes in research, too: African youth often innovate with their community in mind, not a market. They consistently prioritize social impact over profit, seeking to solve real-world challenges like food access, clean energy, or equity in education (HSRC, 2024). This African mindset of ‘profit for purpose’ aligns powerfully with the spirit of WRO, where every robot tells the story that true innovation is transformational, not just transactional.”

With Africa’s workforce and innovation agenda at stake, Google and UNECA teamed up in 2024 to accelerate WRO’s spread across the continent, as Bahta Mamo Bekele, UNECA Program Coordinator and National Coordinator for WRO in Ethiopia, explains: “The WRO’s approach is fundamentally about building a vibrant African innovation ecosystem from the ground up. It empowers young people to tackle their communities’ most pressing challenges with their own hands and minds, giving them a voice that resonates far beyond their schools and cities. At the UNECA, we are witnessing this digital upskilling in action. It is inspiring a new generation of problem-solvers who are ready to own their narrative and shape the continent’s future.”

A New Era of Hands-on Learning
A growing body of educational research (e.g., OECD Future of Education 2030, Harvard Project Zero) confirms that interdisciplinary, collaborative, and values-based learning better prepares students for AI-rich futures than traditional subject silos.

More than a robotics competition, WRO is the new blackboard, the new lab coat, the new field trip. It becomes a testing ground for the kind of thinking machines can’t do: empathy, ethics, adaptability, and purpose. Yes, kids learn to code. But more importantly, they learn to connect ideas, people, and technology in meaningful ways.

“This is where education truly meets innovation in its truest form, robotics challenges becoming the new interdisciplinary classrooms, where math, science, and language meet creativity, cross-cultural teamwork, design thinking, and resilience. The skills forged here aren’t just nice-to-haves. They’re essential in an AI-powered world,” says Karen Bebelaar, WRO Program Manager.

And WRO Africa isn’t just nurturing future engineers, although it does that too. It is cultivating a generation of ethical innovators, systems thinkers, and global citizens who can lead with both skill and conscience.

Inclusion as a Power Engine
The smiles beaming from the Jangwani and Benjamin Mkapa schools in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania are spreading more good news backed by peer-reviewed evidence: educational robotics is a power mix of fun that significantly supports cognitive, social, and emotional development among learners with special needs.

A 2025 scoping review of 33 peer-reviewed studies confirmed significant gains in cognitive, emotional, and social development among learners with special needs engaged in robotics-based learning. One 2023 ERIC-reviewed study even showed that just eight weeks of robotics lessons led to improved mental planning and group interaction for children with Down syndrome.

But robotics isn’t just bridging gaps, it is opening new frontiers. Students with special needs actually help redefine what innovation looks like, their lived experiences bringing essential perspectives often missing from mainstream tech design.

“When children with disabilities build, code, and compete, they bring new ways of thinking to the table. Their contributions go beyond inclusion: they challenge design norms, foster empathy among peers, and drive user-centered innovation,” says Eva Shana, WRO Country Coordinator for Tanzania at the University of Dar es Salaam. Recent studies in inclusive tech design even highlight that co-creating with learners who have disabilities leads to more accessible, socially attuned technologies for all (GSSRR, 2023).

What’s in a WRO?
Far more than they imagined back in 2004, for sure.

What started as a robotics contest has evolved into a launchpad for equity, creativity, and human-centered innovation. In 2020, only 5 of the 90 participating countries were African. Last year, thanks to the unwavering support of partners like Google, UNECA, Irish Aid, Endeavour Foundation, Camden.education, and a growing network of local changemakers, 9,000 young people across 14 African countries took part in WRO activities – and with momentum building, even more are expected in 2025.

In Nigeria, strategic partnerships with state ministries and institutions are mainstreaming robotics across schools nationwide. The impact? Over 2,000 teachers trained and more than 20,000 young people from all walks of life engaged in WRO 2025.

“With WRO, students, coaches, and experts alike are being prepared today for the challenges of tomorrow. More than a competition, WRO is a launchpad raising solution-driven young people who can think differently, innovate locally, and function globally,” says Abisola Obasanya, WRO Nigeria National Organiser.

Some 4,000 miles further south, the sentiment is shared by WRO South Africa National Organiser Danie Heymans, who has just wrapped up 13 Provincial WRO events with Township Robotics, bringing key 21st-century skills to schools in historically underserved areas.

“In a world racing to automate, quantify, and scale, these fearless, ready-to-learn youth with their purpose-driven mindset remind us what real innovation looks like. And it looks a lot like Ubuntu*,” concludes Heymans.

*Ubuntu is an ancient African word rooted in humanist African philosophy and can be roughly translated as “humanity to others”, or “I am because we are”. It comes from the Zulu proverb “Umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu”, meaning “a person is a person through other people”.

The story was first published by World Robot Olympiad (WRO)

By Johnathan Paoli

The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Gauteng has called for urgent empowerment of social workers, health workers, and caregivers to report cases of statutory rape, as alarming new statistics reveal that tens of thousands of school-age girls in the province fell pregnant in 2024. 

DA Gauteng leader and official opposition leader Solly Msimanga said the figures underscored a growing crisis of child sexual abuse and statutory rape that is being ignored by authorities and too often normalised in communities. 

“Statutory rape is a serious violation, and men who commit such a crime inflict lasting harm on a vulnerable individual. The failure by law enforcement agencies to take action against men who commit this offense is deeply troubling, as it compromises the principles of consent and respect, leaving young girls vulnerable to predatory individuals who have lost all sense of morality,” Msimanga said. 

According to data disclosed by Gauteng Health and Wellness MEC Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko in the provincial legislature, 23,691 pregnancies were recorded among girls between the ages of 10 and 19, last year. 

Of these, 18,851 resulted in deliveries at public health facilities, while 4,840 were terminated. Disturbingly, 521 of these pregnancies involved girls between the ages of 10 and 14.

While pregnancies among learners are rising, police reports of child rape and statutory rape are falling.

Gauteng’s Clinical Forensic Medical Services and Thuthuzela Care Centres recorded 474 cases reported to the South African Police Service in 2022/23, 257 cases in 2023/24, and just 242 between April and December 2024. 

Msimanga said the discrepancy pointed to a breakdown in enforcement of Section 110 of the Children’s Act of 2005, which obliges teachers, healthcare workers, social workers, and caregivers to report suspicions or evidence of child sexual abuse. 

“The failure to act enables predators to continue abusing children, while families are sometimes bribed into silence. This not only protects perpetrators but entrenches a culture of impunity,” he said. 

The Gauteng Health Department’s statistics highlight that the problem cuts across the province. 

Johannesburg recorded 7,245 cases of teenage pregnancy, followed closely by Ekurhuleni with 6,893, and Tshwane with 5,752. The West Rand and Sedibeng recorded 2,014 and 1,787 respectively.

The DA has requested further data on which schools reported the highest numbers of learner pregnancies and how many girls who gave birth managed to return to school. 

However, Inside Education reached out to the Gauteng Education Department who admitted it does not keep such records. 

Msimanga cautioned that poverty and inequality fuel the problem, with transactional sex between older men and vulnerable girls increasingly common. 

In some cases, families accept money or goods in exchange for silence.

The DA is demanding that the provincial departments of Education, Health, Social Development, and Community Safety collaborate more effectively to equip and empower social workers, health professionals, and caregivers to report statutory rape to SAPS; ensure all reported cases are promptly investigated and prosecuted; provide education to girls that reinforces their right to refuse unwanted sexual advances, even from adults in positions of authority; and strengthen partnerships with parents and community leaders to create safe environments for children. 

Msimanga added that the DA will also push for answers on the prevalence of sexually transmitted infections and HIV among the affected age group. 

The DA’s Gauteng intervention is part of a broader national probe into the child pregnancy crisis.

DA Social Development spokesperson Alexandra Abrahams recently revealed that in the Eastern Cape, 117 girls between the ages of 10 and 14 gave birth between April and July 2025, while 4,752 teenagers aged 15 to 19 delivered babies during the same period.

“These figures are only the tip of the iceberg. Pregnancies that end in termination or miscarriage, or those that go unreported, make the true scale far greater,” Abrahams said.

The DA cited the reported drugging and sexual assault of learners from Khomani Primary School in Diepkloof earlier this year as proof that some incidents occur beyond the direct oversight of teachers and parents. 

Msimanga said a DA-led administration would ensure that professionals are trained to enforce the Children’s Act, statutory rape cases are properly investigated and prosecuted, and schools are staffed only with vetted teachers and officials.

INSIDE EDUCATION

By Lizélle Pretorius

As a full-time teacher completing a PhD part-time, I made a decision early on: do research that speaks to the daily realities of teachers and teaching. And so, the idea came from a lived experience – the day I asked one of my grade 11 learners (an A student) about the interpretation of a poem. His response?

Ma’am, please just write the answer on the board so we can study it for the exam.

I am sure that many teachers can relate to that request, which is typical of education framed by a “chalk and talk” approach.

“Chalk and talk” refers to a classroom environment where the teacher does most of the talking. There’s an over-reliance on textbooks and a focus on recall and rote learning. This is your typical “one size fits all” approach to teaching. Learners are mostly motivated to learn to pass their final year exams.

In South Africa, where I work, that’s contrary to what the national curriculum states. The critical outcomes of the Curriculum Assessment Policy Statement say learning has to be active, focus on critical thinking and reasoning, and go beyond memorising.

But that’s the exception rather than the rule in South African classrooms. There is a mismatch between policy and practice.

A US study weighed the pros and cons of active learning vs direct instruction. Ultimately, active learning is essential to promote curiosity, take ownership of one’s learning journey, and develop important social skills.

The goal of my research was simple: to help teachers include active learning activities in their regular classroom routines. I called my intervention the “altered flipped classroom”. The idea originates from the “flipped classroom”, an active learning approach to make the best use of face-to-face time with learners.

Altering the flipped classroom

The flipped classroom makes use of pre-recorded lessons that learners view before coming to class. In class, teachers support them to do their “homework”.

The flipped classroom has been researched in depth and the advantages to learning are impressive. These include improved learning performance and the development of skills such as critical analysis, problem-solving and collaboration. One study discovered that the flipped classroom helped low performers to keep up with their peers.

In South Africa, only 21.48% of public schools have access to the internet for teaching and learning. Because of this limitation, I had to “alter” the flipped classroom by excluding the technology component.

For example, instead of relying on online resources, learners can be given a visual representation of a poem along with a few guiding questions to prepare at home for the next day’s lesson. In class, they could then share their responses with a peer or the whole group.

This simple adjustment can enable meaningful contributions and include participation from all learners in a class.

Teachers take on the challenge

I invited Grade 8-11 teachers in public and private schools in the Western Cape province to participate. Thirty-one teachers attended the online training, and nine took part in the study. Their teaching experience ranged from first-year to over 30 years.

They also received a teacher manual which included the background of the flipped classroom, its underlying theories, and practical examples of how to start. Teachers were asked to flip their classroom for three consecutive lessons and to keep a research diary to capture their experiences. These were also discussed during online interviews.

The aim was to explore what had been holding them back from active learning methods. It turned out that they experienced internal and external pressures. Teachers had to overcome possible judgement for “teaching differently” and faced uncertainty regarding the changing of roles. They also experienced fear of having less control, and noted their old habits and mindsets of teaching.

Voices from the classroom

The teachers in my study were concerned about what colleagues or management might think:

If someone walked into my class, it would have seemed like … the kids were playing around, not working, but they were. It just … looked different.

Teachers had to face their own deep-rooted habits and mindsets, which mostly centred on control. This appeared to come from their well-established teacher identities, shaped by their beliefs, assumptions and experiences with regard to their own teaching and how they were taught.

One teacher emphasised the need to move from “a conservative in a box kind of teacher”. One said “my classroom is my stage”; another “felt territorial about {her} space”.

Some teachers recognised the need for change. One said, “I feel like we can break that habit” and another, “We cannot do it the way we have always done it”. They started to become aware of old habits that influenced their practice:

It’s so like hammered into me that you have to be in the front, you have to teach.

From passive learning to purposeful growth

Ideally, teachers will challenge themselves to question the chalk and talk comfort zone and the system that reinforces it.

If nothing changes, learners are being set up to be dependent on their teachers.

The teachers reported many advantages for active learning, such as increased motivation and learners taking responsibility for their learning.

Teachers should be encouraged to go beyond the boundaries of traditional teaching. Learning experiences have to include opportunities to develop thinking, skills and values. Apart from knowledge, these are essential when entering the workforce or when studying a post-school qualification.

Change is not always easy, but it is necessary.

THE CONVERSATION

Some students watched the video in the middle of class. Others pulled out their phones as they walked out of school and found themselves watching the videos over and over. Some teachers interrupted lessons to discuss the horrific news.

Almost instantly after Charlie Kirk was assassinated Wednesday at Utah Valley University, the news — captured on video in grisly detail — sent shockwaves through classrooms everywhere. Because no matter teens’ political opinions, everyone knew Kirk.

In high school classes in Spanish Fork, Utah, chatter spread fast Wednesday, as students learned of the shooting and began to wonder if Kirk would live or die. A cellphone ban meant many students didn’t learn of Kirk’s fate until the final bell — pushing tough conversations in class to the next day.

“By the end of the day, I was worn out,” said English teacher Andrew Apsley. He discussed the shooting with each of his four classes Thursday at Landmark High School, about 15 miles south of UVU.

In the current political climate and with new cellphone bans, schools have tried to push social media and controversial topics to the sidelines, saying classes should focus on basic academics. Kirk’s shooting upended all that.

Graphic footage of Kirk’s shooting on the Utah college campus was available almost immediately online, captured by cellphones from several angles.

The videos, in slow motion and real-time speed, show a direct view of Kirk being shot, his body recoiling and blood gushing from his neck. The videos were easy to find on X, TikTok and Instagram.

Many teens say they feel traumatized by what they saw.

They couldn’t escape the videos popping up on their social media feeds or being passed to them by friends and classmates.

Some teens posted warnings that urged people not to click on the Kirk videos, saying they wished the visuals had come with trigger warnings.

Apsley’s 19-year-old child received a gruesome video of Kirk’s death in a message from a friend. His child has autism and has difficulty processing emotions, so the video was “pretty traumatic,” Apsley said. That incident became a teaching moment for Apsley’s students.

“I know we want to be first. I know we want to be the one to share the information that other people rely on,” Apsley recalled telling his classes. “But at the same time, not everyone is well-equipped to handle something as graphic and violent as that.”

Students tuned in everywhere, highlighting the global reality of social media.

In Canada, Aidan Groves was in a college writing class when he saw a headline on Reddit that Kirk had been shot. He had not shared Kirk’s political views, yet “my heart sank, and I was immediately on edge,” said Groves, a student at Southern Alberta Institute of Technology in Calgary. He quickly swiped through comments, feeling overcome by horror and dread.

Even so, he left his classroom to watch the video.

Groves, 19, grew up watching his dad play video games with violent imagery, but he was struck by the video’s immediacy and the crowd’s frantic reaction.

When Groves returned to class 10 minutes later, everyone was distracted by the news of the shooting. Students passed around their phones. Some of his classmates expressed shock. Others who weren’t fond of Kirk’s views cracked jokes.

Through it all, the professor carried on with his lesson.

A similar scene played out in a now-viral video taken in a classroom at the University of North Texas, where a student filmed her class watching the video on tablets and cell phones they passed around the room. Some students have amused looks on their faces, and the student filming the video chastises those making light of it.

“Why are we cheering for someone getting shot? No matter what political beliefs are, we should not be cheering that someone got shot,” the student tells her classmates. A University of North Texas spokeswoman confirmed the video was filmed in one of its classrooms.

“I’ve never seen anybody die, and immediately everybody in this crowd had just witnessed that,” he said.

Whether students admired Kirk or not, teenagers across the world knew him from his social media presence.

A right-wing activist and close ally of President Donald Trump, Kirk’s savvy use of social videos, capturing his pithy responses to questions from liberals, raised his profile at speaking events on college campuses and online, especially among young men.

San Francisco teen Richie Trovao didn’t agree with all of Kirk’s ideas, but admired how the activist “really stood on his beliefs.” Trovao, 17, had thought about getting politically involved himself, but the assassination has given him second thoughts. He worries that speaking his mind could put him at risk.

The high school senior was on Discord when a friend messaged that Kirk had been shot. Trovao didn’t believe it at first, so he went to X to confirm, and a video of Kirk’s death autoplayed. His stomach turned.

“I never thought I would see something like that happen to someone who’s just basically an influencer,” Trovao said. Especially shocking: Some social media comments seemed to celebrate Kirk’s death.

Reaction to the video has highlighted the political divide and polarization that exists among American youth, said Connecticut high school senior Prakhar Vatsa. That was the main topic of discussion among classmates in his AP Government class after Kirk’s death.

Raised in an era of easy access to violent imagery, Vatsa, 17, said he wasn’t too affected when he saw the video while scrolling social media, because he isn’t too sensitive to gore.

“It was a bit traumatizing, but I’ve seen worse,” he said.

AP

By Palesa Nguqu

Deputy Higher Education Minister Dr. Mimmy Gondwe says small states face major challenges in building resilient and inclusive education systems, from limited economies of scale to talent retention.

She said South Africa is supporting its neighbours through collaboration, digital innovation, and skills development, initiatives that not only strengthen individual nations but also advance regional stability and shared prosperity.

Gondwe was speaking at the Ministerial Panel on Small States of the Commonwealth, held during the 11th Pan-Commonwealth Forum on Open Learning (PCF11) in Gaborone, Botswana, from 10–12 September 2025.

The forum, under the theme “Innovative Open Education: Fostering Resilient Societies for Sustainable Economic Development,” brought together education ministers from across the Commonwealth.

Delegates shared experiences, challenges, and successes in policy implementation, with the aim of fostering cross-learning and improving coordination between national policies and international frameworks.

Gondwe underscored the importance of solidarity and cooperation in ensuring no state is left behind.

“Small states face vulnerabilities such as limited economies of scale and talent retention challenges. But through partnerships, mutual recognition of qualifications, and shared knowledge, we can build resilient systems that are future-ready,” she said.

South Africa’s contributions include strengthening academic mobility, ensuring quality assurance, and advancing digital learning platforms.

Gondwe cited ongoing initiatives such as the SADC Protocol on Education and Training, which facilitates academic exchanges and the mutual recognition of qualifications.

“Our collaboration enables small states to access a broader pool of expertise and to develop joint initiatives that benefit all,” she explained.

South Africa also champions Open Distance Learning (ODL) through platforms like the National Open Learning Systems (NOLS).

“Through partnerships with Botswana, Lesotho, and Namibia, we are expanding opportunities for students who might otherwise be excluded from higher education,” noted Gondwe.

These platforms provide adaptable open educational resources tailored to local languages and contexts, promoting inclusivity and lifelong learning.

Support further extends to technical and vocational education and training (TVET).

The Department of Higher Education and Training is also working with countries such as Eswatini and Lesotho to align TVET programmes with industry needs and to develop a skilled workforce.

“Our goal is to equip young people with skills that are relevant and demanded by the economy,” said Prince Maele, Botswana’s Minister of Higher Education.

Research collaboration is another pillar of regional integration.

Mauritius and Seychelles, for example, have partnered with South African universities on projects related to sustainable ocean economies and climate adaptation. In addition, initiatives such as the Potential of Micro-Credentials in Southern Africa (POMISA) aim to create flexible, scalable learning pathways that support lifelong learning and improve employability.

Gondwe underscored that supporting small states is a matter of solidarity, not charity.

“Our collective future depends on how well we harness collaboration,” she said.

“Supporting small states is not charity—it is an act of shared regional interest, ensuring no nation is left behind in building resilient, knowledge-driven societies.”

INSIDE EDUCATION

By Johnathan Paoli

The Gauteng Education Department has moved to put contingency measures in place for matriculants affected by ongoing water outages and protest disruptions in the communities of Westbury and Coronationville.

Department spokesperson Steve Mabona confirmed that while water tankers and JoJo tanks had been deployed to affected schools, the prolonged lack of supply has stretched the system to breaking point. 

“We have tanks, JoJo tanks, in our schools. When we have water, we then fill up those tanks. But if, on a continuous basis, there’s no water, we will then be depleted,” he said. 

The outages, which have sparked days of unrest, left teaching schedules in disarray and raised concerns about the impact on learners preparing for crucial final examinations.

Mabona said the department’s immediate focus was on protecting the academic progress of Grade 12 learners. 

“The only challenge in Coronationville is that we have those that are coming from outside those areas. Now the arrangement is that especially the Grade 12s, they are writing at the neighbouring schools. We’ve made those arrangements for them to continue to write,” he said.

Protests erupted earlier this week, with residents demanding urgent intervention to restore water services.

Several community members sustained rubber bullet injuries on Wednesday when demonstrations turned violent.

The unrest has prevented some learners from outside the affected communities from reaching their schools, further disrupting teaching and learning. 

“In that entire area, our schooling is not normal. The lower grades cannot access schools unless they live within walking distance. Grade 12s have been our main concern, and we’ve ensured their preparatory examinations continue without major interruptions,” Mabona stressed. 

Similar arrangements have been implemented in Ebony Park, where many learners are walking to schools. Principals are collecting examination papers from distribution points to ensure assessments go ahead. 

The water outages in Westbury and Coronationville have also cast a spotlight on broader service delivery and infrastructure issues affecting schools across the province. 

In The Vaal, learners at the newly opened Tsepong Secondary School have reportedly been attending classes for only three hours daily due to water and sanitation challenges.

Mabona acknowledged the difficulties but assured the public that the matter had been resolved. 

“Yes, indeed, we are aware. The challenge was with the municipality, because we made a payment in January already. But there were problems of locating the transaction. There’s now confirmation that the municipality has received the money, and workers are on site connecting the school to park services for water and electricity,” he said.

 Asked whether such problems pointed to systemic weaknesses in municipal payments and service connections, Mabona said schools generally receive allocations to pay for services directly. 

“In this instance, because it was a new establishment, the department had to apply for the connection. But in all other schools, we provide them with their allocation to pay municipal services. Where challenges arise, we engage municipalities directly and make interim arrangements,” he said.

While the department is working to mitigate the immediate impact of the outages on matriculants, concerns remain about the long-term disruption to teaching. 

Civil society groups have warned that if the crisis persists, it could compromise curriculum coverage, particularly for younger grades who are not part of examination contingency plans.

The department has urged calm and appealed for constructive dialogue between residents, municipalities, and education authorities.

INSIDE EDUCATION

By Levy Masiteng 

The Democratic Alliance (DA) on Thursday launched a national investigation into rising cases of statutory rape and child pregnancies, saying provincial governments must be held accountable for tackling the issue.

The move followed DA Federal Council chairperson Helen Zille’s attendance at a bail hearing in the Bronkhorstspruit Magistrate’s Court for a 53-year-old deputy principal accused of repeatedly raping an eight-year-old girl at his primary school.

The party announced in October last year that according to a response to a parliamentary question, Over 106 000 rape cases and 22,000 sexual assault cases involving children were reported over the last six financial years.

Zille said the campaign would examine whether provincial departments were meeting their obligations under the Children’s Act, which seeks to ensure that perpetrators of rape and statutory rape face prosecution.

Zille urged community members to report suspected abuse.

“The DA will not allow the rape of children to become normalised in South Africa,” she said. “We urge all people who suspect incidents of abuse to report the matter as they are required to do, to the relevant authorities.”

Zille said some community members had raised concerns that perpetrators often pay victims to remain silent. “We are aware that perpetrators often buy the silence of victims and their families to cover up their crimes. Those who succumb to such bribery and extortion are equally guilty of a crime,” she said.

The DA said it would push for psycho-social support for victims. “The DA will seek to ensure that the victims of such abuse get the psycho-social support which they need to heal to the greatest extent possible,” Zille added.

“The alleged perpetrator has the right to be presumed innocent until proved guilty,” she said, “but the fact that suspects in child rape cases make it into court is an important step in the accountability chain.”

INSIDE EDUCATION

By Levy Masiteng 

The Minister of Higher Education and Training (DHET), Buti Manamela, has assured the Portfolio Committee on Higher Education that his department will address governance and management disputes at the College of Cape Town (CCT).

In a statement, the DHET said the stabilisation team is aimed at restoring order and protecting the institution.

Manamela said the team’s mandate includes conducting a fact-finding process into governance and leadership disputes, mediating between the council, principals and deputy principals, and recommending corrective steps to his office. 

“This intervention is not about taking sides. It is about restoring order, protecting the institution, and ensuring that students are not the collateral damage of leadership conflicts.

“Our priority is to stabilise governance, safeguard teaching and learning, and build confidence in the College’s future,” Manamela said.

The duty of ensuring CCT is brought to order, will be assigned to a respected retired judge or senior advocate with support from experts in labour relations and higher education governance. 

The team is expected to begin its work within seven days and conclude within 45 days.

During this period, all new disciplinary processes involving CCT’s principal, the council chairperson, and the deputy principals will be suspended to prevent further escalation.

The intervention follows persistent tensions among senior managers, resulting in weak governance, low staff morale, and disruptions to academic programmes. 

Committee spokesperson, Tebogo Letsie welcomed the department’s interventions under Section 46 of the Continuing Education and Training Act, 16 of 2006. 

During the committee meeting, members said they were alarmed by CCT’s challenges, after it was revealed that divisions within management escalated after the appointment of the principal, sparking a prolonged power struggle.

“The ongoing instability at CCT cannot be allowed to compromise the academic success of students,” said Letsie.

The director-general of the DHET, Nkosinathi Sishi, clarified that the principal is facing 21 charges, not 300 as alleged. 

 “We welcome the decisiveness on this matter, as it was evident that the principal regarded this institution as his own until we called him to order. Such attitudes have no place in government institutions that are funded by the taxpayers of this country,” Letsie said. 

Manamela said his department will report back to the committee within two months on the progress and outcomes of the stabilisation team. 

“As the committee we are hopeful that the Minister will remain firm in his decision and report back within two months on the progress and outcomes of the stabilisation team, as promised”, Letsie said. 

INSIDE EDUCATION

By Akani Nkuna

The University of the Western Cape (UWC) and the University of Johannesburg (UJ) are set to battle it out in the final of the Varsity Women’s Football this month. 

The current holders of the title, UWC, defeated Wits on Monday by a one-goal margin and have their eyes set on clinching the title when they face UJ. 

Following an intense and tight game on Monday, it was substitute Thembelihle Zulu’s 66th minute header that sent UWC into the final. While the UWC goalkeeper had a relatively quiet day between the poles, she was stellar when called upon, serving brilliant saves to keep Wits at bay. 

UJ eliminated TUT during a semi-final match played on Monday at UJ stadium with a dominant performance, scoring unanswered goals from Thato Mafolo and Sthembile Msomi, with player of the match Shannon Macomo rounding off the scoring. 

The win serves as sweet revenge after TUT eliminated UJ in the same stage last year in penalty shoot-outs; however, this year’s display by UJ was nothing short of dominant, characterised by relentless attack and controlled aggression. 

Meanwhile, newcomers UNIVEN Women’s Club received a rude awakening, exiting the campaign without a win — marking a tough debut season. Their last straw was a 4-0 defeat at the hands of CPUT where Zilungile Mathiya opened the scoring in the second minute. UNIVEN trailed by three goals before halftime.

In another exciting playoff match, UP-Tuks edged off NWU by two goals to one. Despite going into the halftime break with a one-goal lead, NWU equalised shortly when play resumed. Tuks restored their advantage when Rose Mashishi netted in the 64th minute, a strike which proved to be the winning goal.

 In what is expected to be a blockbuster final, UWC and UJ will face off at UJ Soweto Stadium on Friday, 19 September. UJ will be expecting to ride on the home-ground advantage wave.

INSIDE EDUCATION

By Michele Van Eck

Education is widely regarded as the road to a better life. Yet the rising cost of tertiary education means many students can only go to university if they get financial aid, bursaries or loans.

South Africa’s National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) offers students bursaries or loans which provide allowances for tuition and registration fees, books, travel and accommodation. But this type of funding applies only under specific and limited conditions. Many students fall outside its scope.

Students who are not enrolled for a qualification that is approved by the Department of Higher Education, or who wish to study for a second undergraduate qualification, or who are studying at private institutions, don’t qualify to get the funding.

The result is that many students can’t keep up with paying their university fees. In 2025 South African universities collectively held about R9.3 billion (US$528 million) in student debt that had remained unpaid since 2023.

Universities have been trying different methods to pressure students and graduates to pay outstanding student debts. This has included withholding of degree certificates, academic transcripts and marks.

Universities require funding to operate effectively, pay staff and maintain infrastructure. But withholding academic documents from indebted students may prevent them from securing employment – the very means by which they could repay their debts. These practices, while commercially defensible, often have the opposite effect. According to Unesco, “student loans generally have catastrophic effects for students and families across the world”.

It seems reasonable to conclude that student debt collection practices may entrench poverty and make it harder for graduates to get jobs.

From recent court cases, it appears that this issue is especially pronounced in the legal profession. Law graduates face additional scrutiny, as admission to the profession requires not only academic qualifications but also proof of moral character. The Legal Practice Act 28 of 2014 mandates that candidates be “fit and proper” individuals, embodying values such as honesty, integrity and reliability. Outstanding debt may be seen as a contrast to the values of honesty and integrity.

Fulfilling financial obligations can indeed have a bearing on ethics (a field I study as a legal scholar). But as I argue in a recent paper, it’s necessary to distinguish between graduates who are unwilling to pay and those who are genuinely unable to.

I also propose a couple of ways this could be achieved so that universities get their money and graduates get their start in working life.

How universities collect debt

Unlike South Africa, some countries have taken steps to deal with the impact of student debt.

My paper highlights that, in the United States, several states don’t allow universities and colleges to withhold degree certificates and transcripts (records of academic activity) over unpaid fees. They recognise that those debt-collection practices hinder employment and make inequality worse. Instead, they promote other strategies, like repayment plans related to income, or policies for how to treat students who are experiencing hardship.

In the United Kingdom, universities are advised not to use academic sanctions to recover non-academic debts, such as accommodation fees. Consumer protection laws treat students as consumers, allowing them to challenge unfair contractual terms. If a university’s contract includes provisions to withhold degrees for unpaid fees, students may contest these clauses as unjust.

South Africa lacks similar legal safeguards. Each university sets its own rules. These range from students not being able to graduate unless all fees are paid, to the withholding of certificates from students not in good financial standing, and even preventing students from viewing their examination scripts if they owe money. Some examples may be found at the University of the Free State (page 27), University of Pretoria (page 16) and University of the Witwatersrand.

Law students face additional hurdles

In the legal profession, financial responsibility is often tied to ethical conduct. Lawyers manage trust accounts, client funds and sensitive legal matters. Integrity is non-negotiable.

However, the inability to pay student debts is not inherently dishonest. Some students fall into debt due to circumstances beyond their control, like family obligations, socio-economic conditions, unemployment or the sheer cost of education.

South African courts have grappled with outstanding student debts when it comes to admitting law graduates to the profession. The courts’ approach has been inconsistent.

In Ex Parte Tlotlego the court emphasised that poverty should not bar entry into the legal profession. It said courts should not require proof of debt repayment arrangements, which would be unfair to students from disadvantaged backgrounds.

But in Ex Parte Makamu the court found that a law graduate must still demonstrate how they intend to settle their debts to satisfy the ethical standards of honesty and integrity.

More recently, Ex Parte Galela reinforced this view. The court declined the application for admission because it wasn’t clear why the law graduate hadn’t paid off their debt. It suggested that financial irresponsibility could reflect poorly on the graduate’s character.

The courts’ approach and general student debt-collection practices often fail to differentiate between students who cannot pay and those who choose not to. This distinction is vital. A student who ignores their debt without justification may raise ethical concerns. But a student who is willing to pay yet lacks the financial means should not be penalised.

Solutions

The solution lies in balancing the financial interests of universities with the socio-economic realities of students. Student debts must be repaid, but repayment mechanisms must also be fair and sustainable.

There have been attempts to find a solution, such as the draft Student Relief Bill, which proposes setting up a Student Debt Relief Fund. But that might place unsustainable pressure on the economy.

I have another proposal: allowing graduates to receive their degree certificates regardless of outstanding debt, along with two legislative interventions. These are:

Automatic garnishee orders: upon graduation, an automatic garnishee order (a court order directing an employer to deduct a certain amount from an employee’s income) could be placed on future salaries of a graduate. This would ensure that student debt is repaid over time.

Amendment to the Prescription Act 68 of 1969: This could exclude student debt from prescribing (becoming too old to collect). Normally, such a debt would prescribe after three years. An amendment would allow universities to recover debts for the duration of graduates’ employment, not just within three years.

These measures would uphold the financial sustainability of universities while protecting the dignity and future employment prospects of graduates.

The Conversation